I had the fortune of stumbling onto an absolutely breathtaking post on the Cote de Texas blog. Joni, the blog’s author, begins by describing the Great Storm of 1900 that destroyed the city of Galveston, Texas. As Joni tells it, Galveston was actually a major city at the time, bigger than Houston. But it has never really recovered from the storm. The photo she shows of Galveston the day after the storm is startling. Total devastation.
Joni then goes on to talk about the revitalization that’s going on in Galveston’s historical neighborhoods, which are full of Victorian homes that survived the storm or were constructed soon after it but later suffered through many years of neglect and deterioration.
She treats us to a stunning gallery of photos of these homes. I cannot do them justice in words. You’re going to have to take a look at them. They’re jaw-dropping, and there are lots of them. The houses that survived the storm wear a special plaque. The picture of the plaque alone gave me goose-bumps.
Take your time with this one and be sure to read Joni’s excellent and well-written commentary on the photos. As a bonus for us, she has some very good shots of the antique Victorian furniture contained in some of the houses. A word of warning: Joni herself doesn’t like Victorian furniture. I do concede, though, that I agree with her when she says a house at the beach needs beachy furniture. Her negative remarks on the furniture also start a lively discussion in the comment area that’s worth a read.
This is a high-quality post on a high-quality blog. Thanks, Joni!